I’m letting you all know – shadows no longer exist. It’s common knowledge that we are being watching and monitored like never before, whether its your Ez Pass, instant messenger conversations, email, 2way pagers, “security” cameras and most of the other modern conveniences we enjoy these days. But, since Hip-Hop is the new “mafia” to many in authoritative positions, I thought this letter would be of interest to our readers. It was mailed to us from and anonymous “non-Hip-Hop” person who had some knowledge to share to our community.
Dear AllHipHop.com,
Let me start by introducing myself. I am a 53-year-old male who just retired after 22 years as a Counterintelligence Field Operative. I was the "I’m not here, you don’t see me" guy on four different continents, and have been many places I’d rather not speak about – suffice it to say I was in Iraq far before 1991 – think summer 1988. Although I was deployed overseas when these "Gotti" brothers (Murder Inc’s Irv and Chris Gotti) were arrested, I have recently returned to my home of Rhode Island to retire. Many of my colleagues work in tandem with the FBI and DEA for drug interdiction operations in Miami, and the Eastern Seaboard (read: NYC, New Jersey harbors). These arrests should not surprise anyone. The hip-hop community has been under government scrutiny for some time, and I think I speak for my associates when I say although profiling is wrong, some see it as the only viable solution.
I do not.
Therefore, pending my separation with the agency after several Counterintelligence and drug interdiction operations, I am finally free to share this with your culture. When I was growing up, all the Beatles fans were raving mad when John Lennon died; many suspected government involvement. I wouldn’t know. Hopefully not.
However, and this is crucial. I have been privy to and been, both directly and indirectly, involved with numerous "hip-hop focus stings" like targeting hip-hop artists that boast of violence if drug content/use in their lyrics. This is law now; many prominent artists have undergone this probe in the past. I would say this: I hate censorship as much as the next man, but censor yourself. It attracts undue attention.
Disable all OnStar-services in ANY General Motors vehicle; GM and the DIA (Defense
Intelligence Agency)/CIA/NSA/FBI have an agreement where we have the freedom to tap ANY OnStar system in any GM vehicle without a warrant, thanks to the Patriot Act. This means those gas-guzzling Escalades, all new Cadillac coupes, Suburbans, Yukons,
etc.
My 22-year-old cousin directed my to AllHipHop.com following the arrest of these Gotti (Murder Inc) individuals from Queens, NY (which I already had prior knowledge of) for me to verify if your report was accurate. It was, and I have visited your site on and off with some interest since. I came to the conclusion today, however, that should warn your readers to be far more careful in bragging/promoting drug use on record. The government is actively pursuing this, and many artists are already under close scrutiny – others are cooperating with higher intelligence agencies and therefore have no problems with police or FBI. It is my understanding that several street-level dealers purporting to be part of a well-known rap collective are even now cooperating with CIA drug-interdiction agents. Not sure if it is the rap "crew," so to speak, or the individuals on the block that claim to belong to that organization. Also, the Secret Service never investigated that Eminem character – the FBI New York/New Jersey Field Office is focused on a artist that is very popular in the underground.
In any event, I am pleading that you post some sort of warning or disclaimer about how the government is actively seeking to destroy the hip hop community, specifically because many Washington policy-makers believe everyone to be "drug-pushers" and "crack/cocaine runners." They thought they abolished cocaine and other like drugs in the early 90’s and are now out to blame it all on hip hop and dismantle it piece by piece. The nomination of the new Director, National Intelligence may spell bad things for the hip hop generation, namely heavy censorship or massive, county-wide raids detaining any artist that every mentioned or alluded to distributing hard drugs. All I ask is you heed my warning, and post some sort of "heads-up" on your website.
Hip-hop generation is no different that the hippie movement of the 60s and 70s, and therefore everyone should be allowed to say and do whatever they feel. Having served my country for more than 25 years in the military and later in the intelligence community, I believe I am entitled to speak my mind and support your cause. Feel free to respond at your earliest convenience.
Best Regards,
A concerned reader
